Have you been told you snore? Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night for no apparent reason? Maybe you went to bed early one night but still spent the entire day exhausted, even though you definitely got at least eight hours of sleep?
Snoring is common for a lot of people, but sometimes that noisy act while you’re asleep can indicate something more severe, like sleep apnea.
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is the name of a potentially serious sleeping disorder that causes people to wake up throughout the night due to obstructed breathing. This obstructed breathing will cause people to actually stop breathing as they sleep, often causing them to jolt awake to enable continued breathing.
The inability to breathe when sleeping comes from a relaxation of the muscles that support the soft tissues of the throat. Once these areas relax, your airway narrows, momentarily halting breathing.
What Are the Symptoms of Sleep Apnea?
Loss of oxygen as well as restful sleep throughout the night causes some serious symptoms. There are some clear indicators that you might be suffering from sleep apnea, including the following:
- Daytime exhaustion/sleepiness.
- Sleep deprivation.
- Nightmares.
- Insomnia.
- Loud snoring.
- Depression.
- Dry mouth.
- Breathing through the mouth.
- Dry throat.
- Loud breathing.
- Mood swings.
- Fatigue.
- Irritability.
- Headache.
- Weight Gain.
As the above symptoms make clear, sleep apnea is a serious condition that can affect many seemingly disparate aspects of your life.
Treatments for Sleep Apnea
If you suspect you’re dealing with sleep apnea or you know for a fact that a friend or loved one is, talk to us. We can help you or your friend or loved one get the treatment they need to get the sleep they deserve.
Once you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, we can work with your sleep physician to provide a treatment option: oral appliances. If you are a good candidate, we can use an oral appliance to keep your airway open throughout the night.
This oral appliance means that you can breathe throughout the night. When you can breathe easily, you can get the rest you need.
Sleep Easily Again
At Drs Chapman & Owens, we are happy to work with you and a local sleep physician to create the proper treatment plan to suit your needs. Give us a call today with any questions. We are looking forward to helping you sleep well again.